The Hollywood writers went on strike in 2023. They took to the streets against the movie studios with a host of demands. Naturally, an increase in pay was at the heart of it. Another negotiating point was the threat to AI.

After a prolonged work stoppage, a contract was drawn up. These people naively thought that it protected them.

Since the strike ended, we covered how many in Hollywood were finding themselves out of work. A few benefited from the new agreement but the shutting down of many projects has left jobs hard to come by.

We are in the midset of another wave of issues befalling the script writers. Unfortunately for them, they are not getting the assistance they desire.

Hollywood Writers Work Feed AI And Studios Not Suing

The writers go on strike against the studios and now they want to studios to take legal action against the AI companies that are using the content.

If it were not real, it would almost be laughable.

At the time of the strike I posted how it was a mistake for these unions to take these steps. Anyone who understands disrption can see how things unfold.

So why do the studios have to take the legal action? The reasons is because the writers own nothing. It is the studios that own the IP.

“The studios own the copyrights to our material that’s being stolen, so they have grounds for legal action, and that’s why we wrote the letter,” Meredith Stiehm, president of the WGA West, said in an interview. “Frankly, they’ve been negligent. They have not protested the theft of this copyrighted material by the AI companies, and it’s a capitulation on their part to still be on the sidelines.”

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So the union is upset the studios are not suing over something they own? That is like me getting upset not updating the air conditioning in your house. It is your proerty to do as you see fit.

They assert theft when they (the writers) gave the rights away. They were paid for their work, something that is standard in employment contracts.

Of course, there are a few instances where studios were putting together a library of works to the AI companies. In other words, studios are cutting deals to have the AI trained on their stuff.

Studios Will Benefit

The studios are going to operate in their own best interest.

Isn't it ironic that, what was perceived as a good deal turned into crap? Again, the idea that a piece of paper could save one from technological obsolesence is simply not true. Ultinately, disruption takes place, cutting through whatever stands in its way.

One of the common characteristics is that stakeholder interest is not aligned. When there is a strike, we have two sides pitted against each other. This is classic. It is also something we see in the automotive industry.

The union membership is already losing, and it is only going to get worse.

Here is where things stand now:

When a writer sells their work to a studio, the studio owns the copyright to that material. Lisa Callif, a partner with Los Angeles law firm Donaldson Callif Perez, said she believes that studios would have legal standing to sue the AI companies.

“The tricky part is whether or not the studios agree that the works have to be defended,” Callif said. “The studios have a vested interest in these AI platforms being developed and being useful to them.”

Notice the last line: the studios have a vested interest.

What do you think the elimination of the writers (or a majority of them) does to their bottom line? These same is true for other jobs. By having scenese generated by AI, think of all the set builders, make up artists, and costume people no longer employed. This will eventually move up to actors and actresses.

The first adopters of generative AI for video will be the existing movie studios. I still believe they will ultimately come under attack from the barrage of other content creators that appear. In the meantime, we will see them slice off personnel, opting for AI.

This is something that will take place across the board. We are not only going to see this in Hollywood. It will happen to every industry where knowledge work occurs. Those which have layers of regulation will likely slow things down a bit (education and healthcare being two big ones). However, anything outside of that is open game.

We are seeing the nature of disruption. It has taken place over the last couple hundred years. The difference this time is the speed which the technology is advancing.

That is what will cause the eventual harm. Society simply is not prepared.